Global 7500 ICU Completes Record 15-Hour Medevac from Auckland to Zurich
On April 19, a Triforce Bombardier Global 7500 air ambulance completed a 15-hour, 6,200 NM single-leg medevac from Auckland (NZAA) to Zurich (LSZH), moving a post-arrest cardiac patient on full ventilatory and inotropic support to a tertiary cardiothoracic center.
The mission, dispatched 48 minutes after the initial referral call, represents the longest uninterrupted ICU transport in company history and demonstrates the operational envelope of an ultra-long-range jet purpose-fit for critical care.
Mission profile
- Patient: 58-year-old male, post-OHCA, ROSC achieved, sedated and ventilated
- Departure: Auckland (NZAA), 04:12 local
- Arrival: Zurich (LSZH), 21:48 local
- Block time: 15h 02m, single leg, no fuel stop
- Crew: ICU physician, flight nurse, paramedic, two captains, relief FO
Clinical continuity
The receiving cardiothoracic team accepted the patient with no medication interruptions, no ventilator changeover delays, and a complete in-flight chart documenting every titration. Bedside-to-bedside transfer time was logged at 18 hours, with the medevac itself accounting for 15 of those.
“We treated this like a moving ICU bed, not a flight that happened to have a patient on it. Every protocol — sedation, vasoactive titration, neuro checks — was identical to ground ICU practice.”
Why ultra-long range matters clinically
Fuel stops on long medevacs are not free. Each landing/takeoff cycle exposes the patient to acceleration changes, cabin pressure transitions, and a 90-minute window where ICU equipment is on battery and crew attention splits to ground logistics. Eliminating the fuel stop removes one of the largest in-flight risk multipliers for fragile patients.
The Global 7500's 7,700 NM range and quiet, low-altitude-equivalent cabin (4,500 ft cabin altitude at FL510) made the mission medically routine despite the unusual duration.
Media inquiries
For interviews, b-roll, or background on this story, contact the Triforce duty press officer at press@triforce.flights or call the 24/7 hotline.
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